VN to increase financial contribution to Asia-Europe Foundation since 2019, says PM

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (front row, second from right) attends 12th ASEM Summit in Brussels, Belgium on October 19, 2018. Photo: VGP

PM attends opening session of 12th ASEM Summit 

As this year’s summit takes place in the context of fast and profound changes of the global situation, PM Phuc urged ASEM to be the pioneer in accelerating multilateral cooperation and rule-based international order.

He suggested Asia and Europe should strengthen cooperation to timely address traditional and traditional and non-traditional security challenges, maintain peace, boost dialogue and trust-building, preventive diplomacy and observance of international law and common standards.

ASEM members need to forge global economic-financial  governance in a more balanced fashion and an open, transparent, inclusive and rule-based multilateral trading system, and improve the role of the World Trade Organization in the new context.

PM Phuc said Viet Nam-a member of ASEAN-expects that ASEM cooperation programs should incorporate ASEAN contents and vice versa.

ASEM also needs to take the lead in realizing commitments to climate change adaptation, sustainable management and use of natural resources, food security, and Danube-Mekong cooperation.

ASEM’s developed members should assist developing ones in accessing to financial sources and transforming into green economies.

PM Phuc stressed that sustainable and inclusive development along with innovation and settlement of global challenges should be the key cooperation pillar of ASEM.

Viet Nam advocates multilateral trading system

As the host of the APEC Year 2017, Viet Nam worked with the forum’s member economies to forge free and open trade and investment in Asia-Pacific and support multilateral trading system, said the Vietnamese Government chief.

The country will strive to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and sign the Viet Nam-EU free trade agreement (EVFTA) by the end of 2018 and is now preparing for resuming ASEAN Chair in 2020.

PM Phuc called on ASEM members to support Viet Nam as the country was selected as the only candidate of the Asia-Pacific region for non-permanent United Nations Security Council seat in tenure 2020-2021.

He affirmed Viet Nam always attaches importance to ASEM cooperation, suggesting organization of an ASEM Conference on inclusive growth in Asia and Europe and an ASEM Workshop on digital economy in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in 2019.

PM Phuc took the occasion to extend thanks to China, the EU, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Austria, Italy, Denmark, New Zealand, Hungary and Romania for co-sponsoring the above initiatives./.

By Quang Minh